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amandas_reading_nook's Reviews (372)
I wanted to like this book more than I did. While I enjoyed hearing about the lives of all of these different women, I felt like there were a lot of little threads to the story that were left loose – it just felt very disconnected to me. I personally wish the author had leaned into the ghosts more.
I really enjoyed this book, even though it’s probably my least favorite that I’ve read by this author so far. The FMC goes through a lot of personal growth, which I really enjoyed, but also made the romance feel a bit like an afterthought to me. That being said, I love Katherine Center’s writing. I think she is so funny and she does such a good job developing her characters, which is why this is still 4 stars for me.
‼️spoilers‼️
My biggest gripe with this book is the ending- it just felt really abrupt and like the two love interests, though they confessed their feelings for each other, didn’t talk at all about how they would make a relationship work in spite of everything standing in their way (the age gap, the MMC’s medical condition, him wanting to go travel for a year, etc) I really just needed like an extended epilogue 😅
My biggest gripe with this book is the ending- it just felt really abrupt and like the two love interests, though they confessed their feelings for each other, didn’t talk at all about how they would make a relationship work in spite of everything standing in their way (the age gap, the MMC’s medical condition, him wanting to go travel for a year, etc) I really just needed like an extended epilogue 😅
This ended up being a cozier read than I was expecting, but it was nice to break up some darker reads with something lighter that wasn’t a romance. I really liked the journal entries from the great-aunt and how they helped to unravel the mystery. I will say that I did not guess who the killer was, which is always a nice bonus to me. I enjoyed the cast of characters, our FMC and the detective especially. I believe this is supposed to become a series, and if it does I will definitely be reading it!
This was my first Leigh Bardugo book, and I really enjoyed it! I thought her writing was very atmospheric and I’m so glad that I waited until spooky season to read this one. I also thought the characters were well developed with clear motivations. I particularly liked the FMC and how determined she was to live life on her own terms. I had zero clue what this was about when I picked it up, so there were several points where the plot took a little turn that I wasn’t expecting, and that definitely kept me invested in the story.
I did feel like the pace was a little slow at times, and I was also a little bit confused by some of the politics going on (both with the government and within their social circles) but overall, I thought this made for a great read!
I did feel like the pace was a little slow at times, and I was also a little bit confused by some of the politics going on (both with the government and within their social circles) but overall, I thought this made for a great read!
What a cute holiday romance!
Holly and Ivy have been best friends ever since they met at a college Christmas party and bonded over their indifference for the holiday. Fast forward a few years and Holly has just been dumped by her fiancé the night before her wedding. Unable to bear going on her honeymoon alone, but not wanting the non refundable trip to go to waste, Holly convinces Ivy to go to Hawaii in her place while Holly will go on Ivy’s cabin getaway in the Hudson Valley to get the solitude she craves. But what will happen when Holly’s airbnb host turns out to be an old high school rival and Ivy meets a hot bartender at the resort?
I really enjoyed this book! I feel like the only thing better than a holiday romance is two holiday romances and this book definitely delivered! I thought the author did a good job of balancing the two different storylines. I felt like the two different sides of the romance got equal attention and they both had the shenanigans that make romcoms so fun. The characters felt well written and had a good amount of growth considering the story only spans two weeks. I also really appreciated that the story had strong themes of friendship and self discovery in addition to the romances.
If you enjoy holiday romances you’ll definitely want to add this one to your list for this holiday season!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Holly and Ivy have been best friends ever since they met at a college Christmas party and bonded over their indifference for the holiday. Fast forward a few years and Holly has just been dumped by her fiancé the night before her wedding. Unable to bear going on her honeymoon alone, but not wanting the non refundable trip to go to waste, Holly convinces Ivy to go to Hawaii in her place while Holly will go on Ivy’s cabin getaway in the Hudson Valley to get the solitude she craves. But what will happen when Holly’s airbnb host turns out to be an old high school rival and Ivy meets a hot bartender at the resort?
I really enjoyed this book! I feel like the only thing better than a holiday romance is two holiday romances and this book definitely delivered! I thought the author did a good job of balancing the two different storylines. I felt like the two different sides of the romance got equal attention and they both had the shenanigans that make romcoms so fun. The characters felt well written and had a good amount of growth considering the story only spans two weeks. I also really appreciated that the story had strong themes of friendship and self discovery in addition to the romances.
If you enjoy holiday romances you’ll definitely want to add this one to your list for this holiday season!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I’ve read the author’s young adult, contemporary novels and I was super curious to see how her writing style would differ in this genre, and I was not disappointed. I personally thought the dry humor in this was hilarious. If you can, I would highly recommend listening to the audiobook as I felt the narrator’s acting really sold the comedy. I really liked the way the story was given to us in bits and pieces, it kept me invested and trying to figure out how all of the pieces were going to fit together. This book also has some really beautiful thoughts on mortality and what it means to really be alive- to live and to love.
What a great debut novel!
Shortly after the death of their mother, Liv Terabella starts to feel a presence following her and her sister, Ivy, so she moves them to the one place she knows they’ll be safe. Havenwood. The same place their mother forced them to flee 12 years prior without a goodbye to anyone, not even Jaxon Hawthorne, the man Liv thought she would spend the rest of her life with. Back in her magical hometown, Liv will have to confront everything she left behind, including herself.
This really had a little bit of everything: magical/witchy elements, romance, mystery, great friendships and witty banter- literally everything I could ask for! I especially loved that the house was a character in its own right. I know that the second book will be following Declan and Quinn, but I hope we’ll still get to visit Havenhouse. In general, I thought the magic system was well developed and easy to follow.
But of course my absolute favorite part of this story was the romance between Jax and Liv. I am a complete sucker for a second-chance romance and this one was no exception. I loved seeing their relationship evolve as they reconnected, and I only wish we had gotten to see a little bit more of how they had come together when they were teenagers.
The pace was a little slower than I typically prefer, but for this story I found that I really enjoyed how slowing down allowed for a lot of character development. I also think that makes this the perfect book if you’re looking for something to really sink into this fall. Definitely looking forward to the second book!
Thank you to Truly Yours PR for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Shortly after the death of their mother, Liv Terabella starts to feel a presence following her and her sister, Ivy, so she moves them to the one place she knows they’ll be safe. Havenwood. The same place their mother forced them to flee 12 years prior without a goodbye to anyone, not even Jaxon Hawthorne, the man Liv thought she would spend the rest of her life with. Back in her magical hometown, Liv will have to confront everything she left behind, including herself.
This really had a little bit of everything: magical/witchy elements, romance, mystery, great friendships and witty banter- literally everything I could ask for! I especially loved that the house was a character in its own right. I know that the second book will be following Declan and Quinn, but I hope we’ll still get to visit Havenhouse. In general, I thought the magic system was well developed and easy to follow.
But of course my absolute favorite part of this story was the romance between Jax and Liv. I am a complete sucker for a second-chance romance and this one was no exception. I loved seeing their relationship evolve as they reconnected, and I only wish we had gotten to see a little bit more of how they had come together when they were teenagers.
The pace was a little slower than I typically prefer, but for this story I found that I really enjoyed how slowing down allowed for a lot of character development. I also think that makes this the perfect book if you’re looking for something to really sink into this fall. Definitely looking forward to the second book!
Thank you to Truly Yours PR for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This book is phenomenal. Such a thought provoking way of framing a conversation about prison reform and the death penalty. I know I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time- the rest of my life probably tbh.
The best book in the Maple Hills series by far. I think the author’s writing has improved so much. These are her best characters yet- they were well developed and perfect because they were flawed and human. I related to Halle’s struggles so much that it hurt sometimes. This one is for all of the Taylor Swift loving, family manager, third parent, people pleasing eldest daughters (myself included)
I can’t speak to how well or poorly the mental illness in this book was depicted, as it’s not something I have experience with, but I thought the story itself was very predictable. I kept waiting for some kind of twist, for something to show everything’s not as it seems, but it ended up being very straightforward. I think the author tried to use the MC’s mental illness to paint her as an unreliable narrator, but she was actually very reliable?? She was the only one at that school who knew everything that was going on.
I did think that the authors writing style was well suited for the book. She did a good job of creating the sense of bouts of mania and then episodes of depression.
I did think that the authors writing style was well suited for the book. She did a good job of creating the sense of bouts of mania and then episodes of depression.